Sheet feeding mechanism for printing machines



March 12, 1935. w. K. ECKHARD SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES 1 Filed March 17, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

INVE NTOR 60M {do/ 1 March 12, 1935. w. K. ECKHARD 1,994,042

v SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed March 17, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR (Zxe'eg aflslu March 12, 1935. w. K. ECKHARD SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed March 17, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m u-L I INVENTOR Patented Mar; 12, 1935 1 SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES William K. Eckhard,.Dun'ellen, N. l, assignor to Irving Trust Company, permanent trustee of R. Hoe & 00., Ine New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application March 17, 1933, Serial No. 661,203

22 Claims. (01. 271-46) This invention relates in general to sheet fed printing machines and more particularly to a design, constructicn-and disposition of coact- .ing parts in slow down, sheet detecting and sheet registering mechanism, embodyingoertain imrovements over the design and'construction i1- lustrated in applicants Patent No. 1,872,16, dated August 23, 19 32for a Printing machine having an automatic feeder.

The object of the invention is to provide a slow-down, sheet feeding device for a printing machine whereinthe sheet registering mechanism, the sheet detectors and the sheet decelerating means are supported in fixed relation to each other by a cross frame which is adiustably mounted on the frame of the printing machine for registering the sheet with reference tothe impression cylinder, "the sheet decelerating means being located beneath the path of feed of the traveling sheets instead of above.

Another object is to provide in combination with the sheet registering and sheet detecting mechanism of a printing machine, an under slung sheet decelerating device which will permit the convenient inspection of the traveling sheets and of certain coacting parts of the mechanism which hithereto was not possible in the conventional assembly which was mounted above the path of feed of the sheets. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet feeder in which the sheet decelerating mechanism is underslung beneath the line of feed of the sheetsand is operated by a direct connection to the machine.

A further object is the provision of a sheet decelerating device that will not tear or injure the sheets when the device is operated at high speed.

It is also an object to provide slow-down and sheet registering mechanism of generally improved construction, whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and efficient in its use.

With the foregoing andother objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention residesin the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

Hitherto in machines of the character indicated, the sheet slow-down means, sheet regis tering mechanism and sheet detectors have all.

been positioned over the sheet supporting table traveling sheets and also of the details coacting to slow-down, align and detect the sheets. It will be understood that it is often desirable to have an unobstructed View of the advancing sheets and to be able .to'inspcct the mechanism performing the functions indicated. The present mechanism by its simplified construction and arrangement of parts, and particularly by being underslung relatively to thepath of feed,

achieves the above-referred to conveniences and important operating advantages with comparatively simple means controlled by a single in strumentality Without disturbing the spaced relation of the coacting parts of the assembly.

The inventionwill be best understood by reference to the drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational View of .a sheet fed'printing machine to which an embodiment of the invention has been applied; FigureZ is a fragmentary elevational view as seen in the direction of the arrow 2 of Figure 1; and. r I Figure 3 is :an enlarged fragmentary diagrammatic View, partly in section, showing the sheet slowing down and registering instrumentalities and their path oi movement.

In the drawings of the preferred form-of the invention wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views of the invention,'the numeral 11 designates gen- ,ferentially to accommodate the sheet decelerating members hereinafter described and permit their movement therein. The shaft 13 of the delivery cylinder, which is rotatably journaled in the frame 11, has secured thereto a pair of cams 14, 15 which are engaged by rollers. 16, 17 arranged on the ends of arms 18, 19 respectively.

,The arm 19, which is biased. by a spring pressed plunger 21 connected thereto and slidably supported in a poppet 22 secured on the frame 11, is keyed or otherwise fastened to a shaft 23 rotatably mounted in the frame 11. On the shaft23 a plurality of arms 24 are secured, each of the arms 24 including an apertured lug or poppet 25 at one end and a'guide plate 26, the said lugs 25 and plates 26 serving as means to slidably confine thereon the rods 27 having the sheet hooks or decelerating members 28.

The arm 18 is formed integrally with a hub 29 fastened on a stud or shaft 31, the said hub 29 having secured thereto or formed integrally therewith an arm 32, hinged to. another link 33, pivotally connected to an arm 34, fastened on a shaft 35, rotatably supported in a pair of arms or extensions 37, provided on a bracket or cross frame 38 hereinafter described and slidable on the main frame 11, the latter having a slot or opening 36 to permit the shaft 35 to be moved transversely to its axis as the arms 37 on the cross frame 38 carrying same move with the latter. The shaft 35 also has arms 39 to which one end of each of a plurality of links or pitmen 41 is plvotally connected, the other end of the said pitmen 41 being hinged to the rods or bars 2'7 having the hooks 28 mentioned above.

The roller carrying arm 18 similar to the roller bearing arm 19, is biased by a spring pressed plunger 42 pivotally secured at one end to a link 43 fastened to or an integral part of the hub 29, the other end of the plunger 42 being slidabiy supported in a poppet 44 secured on the frame 11.

The bracket or cross frame 38 serves as a support for angularly moving sheet aligning assemblies or members, indicated generally at 45 and including the sheet detector shaft 46, having the finger or stop 47, and the sheet registering shaft 48 carrying the pendulums or detectors 49 and sheet registering members 51. The sheet registering assemblies 45 carried by the bracket or cross frame 38 in themselves form no part of the present invention and may be of conventional construction.

The said cross frame 38 is detachably connected to the frame 11 by means of screws 52, 53 seated on washers 52", 53, the stems of the said screws 52, 53 being received in slots 54, 55 formed in the base of the bracket or cross frame 38. A pair of screws 56, freely rotatable in poppets '7 fixed to the frame 11, are threadedly engaged with the cross frame 38, the said screws 55 having on their stems washers or collars 58, arranged adjacent the poppcts 5'7 and coactingly with the head of the screws 55, to prevent axial thrust of the said screws when turned to adjust the cross frame 38, and consequently, the sheet registering assemblies 45 thereon as a unit.

The operation of the device in.part indicated from the foregoing description will be more fully understood from the following brief explanation:

Assuming the cylinder 12 to be turning in a counterclockwise direction, as shown in Figure 1, it will be observed that cam 14 will coact with thespringbiased roller carrying arm 18 and the elements connected to the latter to rock the shaft 35 carrying the arms 39, and consequently, to reciprocate pitmen 41 and the rods 27 thereon carrying the sheet decelerating members or hooks 28. The cam 15 will coact with the spring pressed arm 19 to rock the shaft 23 carrying the bracket arm 24 which slidably supports the rods 27, thus tilting the bracket arm 24 and, consequently, tilting the rod 27 about the shaft 23 as an axis, the functioning of the tilting of the said bracket arm 24 and of the said cams 14 and 15 being so timed that the steps 28 will describe a somewhat orbital or loop-like circular motion in a counterclockwise direction as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, as a resultant of the combined reciprocating and tilting motions communicated to it by the cams 14 and 15. By inspection of Figure 1, it will be seen that roller 1'7 has just entered upon the uniformly raised portion of the cam 15, thereby temporarily maintaining the arms 19 and 24 in a position to sustain the sheet decelerating hooks or stops 28 above the level of the means or support 59 over which sheets 61 are adapted to travel. The roller 16 meanwhile has entered upon the reduced portion of the cam 14 .whose function is to reciprocate the rods 27,

through the intermediary of the elements, mentioncd' above, from right to left, while the cam 15 and roller 1'7 will temporarily maintain the hooks at substantially the same height for the major portion of the arc of the said cam 15 shown'in dotted lines, after which the slope of the last-mentioned cam will function to tilt or angle downwardly the rods 27 and their hooks 28 and withdraw the latter from contact with the sheet, whereafter the cam 14 in turn will function to move the rods 27 and the hooks 28 in a direction from left to right to the extent indicated in Figure 3. It is to be understood that when the impression cylinder 12 reaches the point where grippers thereon (not shown) take the sheet, the sheet registering members 51 will be raised thus permitting the sheet to pass. It will also be understood that the movements of the decelerating members 28 and the impression cylinder 12 are so timed that the gap 12 of the latter will be so located at any instant during the operating period of the said decelerating members 23 that they may be accommodated in the gap and withdrawn from same while moving through certain portions of their orbit. By inspection of Figure 3, it will be noted that a sheet 61 has been pushed forwardly against the sheet decelerators 28 as indicated in full lines, the subsequent movement of the said decelerators being indicated in dotted lines, it being observed that when the sheet 61 has been brought to a stop by the sheet registering means 51, the decelerators will disengage from the sheet by advancing slightly further in their orbit and then begin to move downwardly before commencing their retrograde movement which returns ther to normal position at the right side of the cylinder 12 (as viewed in Figure 3) where they remain by the action of cam 14 until again actuated to engage and decelerate a sheet. It is, of course, understood that when the cylinder reaches the point where grippers (not shown) take the sheet, the registering means are moved forward and up, thus permitting the sheet to pass.

From the above description, it will be seen that when the bracket or cross frame 38 is adjusted by the screw 56, the angularly moving sheet registering units 45 thereon, including the shafts 46, 48, pendulum 49, etc. will move as a unit, and at the same time the shaft 35 supported in the extensions or arms 37 of the transverse frame 33, will be bodily shifted with the said extensions, thereby also shifting the position of the hooks 28 in a plane approximately parallel to the path described by sheets 61 pass ing over the support 59. Briefly, therefore, the sheet registering mechanism, the sheet detectors and the sheet decelerating means can be adjusted as a unit by means of the adjusting screw 56, while the sheet decelerating means, in accordance with the design and construction of the present invention, and as an important feature thereof, is underslung or located beneath the path of travel of the traveling sheets instead of above with the conveniences and operating advantages mentioned above.

, registering mechanism, and a frame supporting invention.

a sheet over a supporting surface, a sheet deeel-.

a sheet feeder, a sheet decelerator, a sheet registering mechanism, shafts supporting the said detector, decelerator and'registering mechanism, and aframe supporting all of said shafts, one of the shafts being positioned substantially below 'the path of the sheet.

3. In a printing'machine adapted for use with a sheet feedena sheet decelerator, a sheet detector, a sheet registering mechanism, shafts supporting the said decelerator, detector and said shafts, said frame having means so arranged that the shaft supporting the sheet decelerator will be underslung below the path of the sheet.

4.In a printing machine adapted for use with a sheet feeder, a sheet decelerator, a sheet detector, a sheet registering mechanism, independent operating shafts for the said decelerator, detector and registering mechanism, and a frame supporting the shafts with their axes in fixed relation to one another, said frame being adjustably attached to the printing machine and having a depending portion adapted to support one of the said shafts below the path of the sheet.

5. In a printing machine adapted to convey sheets, a sheet decelerator, a sheet detector, a sheet registering mechanism, independent operating shafts for the said decelerator, detector and registering mechanism, and a frame detachably secured to and slidably adjustable on the printing machine, said frame rotatably supporting all of said shafts and having means secured thereto adapted to project downwardly below the path'of the sheet, the shaft connected to the decelerator also being arranged below the level of the said sheet, so that the said last-mentioned shaft and decelerator may perform their functions while exposing a sheet to view while being conveyed and permitting the sheet to be conveniently extracted if incorrectly positioned in the printing machine. I

6. In a printing machine adapted for use with a sheet feeder, a sheet decelerator, a sheet detector, a sheet registering mechanism, and a rame adjustably mounted on the printing machine and supporting said decelerator, detector and registering mechanism, said frame having means supporting the decelerator in underslung position substantially below the path of, the sheet.

7. In a printing machine adapted for use with a sheet feeder, a sheet decelerator, a sheet de-,

tector,.a sheet registering mechanism; operating shafts for the said'd'ecelerator, detector and registering mechanism, a frame adjustably attached tothe machine and having bearings supporting the shafts, one of said bearings being arranged substantially belowthe path of the sheet.

8. In a printing machine including a main frame,. a sheet supporting surface and an impression cylinder mounted on said frame, a cross frame adjustably secured to the mainframe, a sheet detector, a sheet registering mechanism and:- a sheet'decelerator secured to said cross frame, and cams rotating with said impression.

cylinder for actuating the sheet decelerator, said sheet decelerator being secured to the cross frame at a position substantially below the path of the sheet.

9. In a printing machine adapted for use with a-sheet feeder, a main frame, a cross frame detachably and adjustably secured to the main frame, an impression cylinder rotatably mounted on the main frame, a sheet decelerator, a sheet registering mechanism andv a sheet detector mounted on the. cross frame, said sheet decelerator being arranged substantially below the path of the sheet feeder, and manually operable means for moving the cross frame, and consequently, the partsmounted thereon as a unit for registering the sheet relatively to the impression cylinder. l

10. In a printing machine having a main frame, a sheet supporting surfacaan impression cylinder, a cross frame slidably secured on said mainframe, means for adjusting the cross frame relatively to the main frame, a sheet detector and a sheet registering mechanism operably mounted on the cross frame above the path of the sheet supporting surface, and a sheet decelerator mounted on the cross frame at a path below the level of the sheet supporting surface, whereby a sheet advanced over the supporting surface may be exposed" to view while traveling towards said impression cylinder and readily removed therefrom in case of accidental misalignment of the sheet.

support a sheet, a sheet decelerating member supported on means arranged substantially below the level of said surface for engaging and disengaging a sheet traveling over the said sur-' face, and an impression cylinder having a gap therein to provide clearance for the sheet decelcrating member.

13. In combination with a sheet fed printing machine having a surface adapted to slidably support a sheet, sheet decelerating means mounted on instrumentalities connected to said machine, said instrumentalities being arranged substantially below the level of said surface, thereby permitting an unobstructed view of the progressive action of the said decelerating means and the progress of the sheet.

14. In combination with a sheet fed printing machine having a surface adapted to 'slidably support a sheet, sheet decelerating means arranged on said machine and operated by instrumentalities mounted on said machine below the level of the said surface, and a pair of cams for actuating said instrumentalities in order to engage and disengage a sheet by said sheet decelerating means.

,15. In combination with a sheet fed printing machine having a frame, an impression cylinder having a gap therein, a sheet supporting surface tangential to the cylinder over which a sheet is advanced, intermittently operated, cam actuated, sheet decelerating means mounted on said frame at a position substantially below the level of said'surfaoe, said means being movable in the gap to engage and decelerate a sheet advancing over said surface.

16. In a sheet fed printing machine, a main frame, a shaft supporting member adjustable with respect to the frame, shafts rotatably carried by said member and adapted to support sheet registering mechanism, and sheet decelerating mechanism, said sheet decelerating mechanism being adapted to operate below a sheet being fed to the machine.

17. In a sheet fed rotary printing machine adapted for use with a sheet feeder, an impression cylinder having a gap therein, and a sheet slow-down mechanism operable below the path of the sheet and within the gap in the cylinder.

18. In a sheet fed rotary printing machine adapted for use with a sheet feeder, an impression cylinder having a gap therein, means to register a sheet, and a sheet slow-down mechanism operating below the path of the sheet to reduce the sheet speed before it engages the registering means and to clear said cylinder by moving within the cylinder gap.

19. In a sheet fed rotary printing machine adapted for use with a sheet feeder, an impression cylinder having a gap therein, a sheet registering member over said cylinder, a sheet decelerator movable'below the path of the sheet, and means to move said sheet decelerator beyond the sheet registering member when the cylinder isin a position wherein the gap portion is in the path of the sheet decelerator.

20. In a sheet fed rotary printing machine adapted for use with a sheet feeder, an impression cylinder having a gap therein, a sheet registering member over said cylinder, a sheet decelerator movable below the path of the sheet, cam members rotatable with said cylinder, and mechanism actuated by said cam members to move the sheet decelerator to a sheet registering position when the gap portion of the cylinder is in a position to receive said decelerator.

21. In a sheet fed rotary printing machine adapted foruse with a sheet feeder, an impression cylinder having a gap therein, a main frame to support said cylinder, an independently adjustable frame supported by said main frame, a sheet decelerator supported by said independently adjustable frame below the path of a sheet, and means to move said sheet decelerator into the gap of said impression cylinder and out again when said gap is in a position to receive same to thereby maintain said decelerator in engagement with a sheet until it reaches the cylinder.

22. In combination with a sheet feeding mechanism for a rotary printing machine, a support over which the sheets are fed, an impression cylinder having a gap therein, a sheet registering means over said impression cylinder, a sheet decelerator normally positioned beneath the path of the sheet and having a sheet engaging member thereon, and means to move said sheet engaging member through the gap while moving with said sheet to a sheet registering position, then lower said sheet engaging member and return same to its original position below the path of the sheet.

WILLIAM K. ECKI-IARD. 

